Blood Calls to Blood
by aelitaheiderich
Summary: While recovering from a hard case, Dean, Sam, and Castiel investigate mysterious disappearances in a small town. Who is James Elder, and what does he want with the Winchesters? Can they possibly be...related?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hi, everyone. I'm sure this story is a departure for me. I had to have surgery recently and while I was recovering, I watched a lot of Netflix. One of the shows I watched was Supernatural, and this idea came to mind. Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 1

It had been a quiet few weeks since their last case. Both Dean and Sam were grateful for the rest and down time in the bunker, but they both knew cabin fever would eventually set in. Neither one of them was looking forward to it, given that they'd spent weeks tracking and then killing an entire pack of shape-shifters that had terrorized an entire town.

The case had not been an easy one. The creatures were not only shape-shifters, but an odd type of creature that also fed on people. A prolonged encounter with one could drain you of all your energy and leave little more than a shell of a person behind. As far as they had been able to tell, they fed in order to gain the power to shift, and people who were strong and healthy had been those creatures' ideas of a succulent dish. Both Dean and Sam had spent two very uncomfortable days in their den, being savored by and fed on by those creatures every other hour. It was only a stroke of luck that had enabled them to take out the original shifter. Doing so had killed the rest.

It took them a week to return to the bunker since they had to keep stopping to sleep. Castiel found them after seven days, underweight and exhausted, and he got them back home safely. Once they were there, they spent another week in bed or lying on sofas, sleeping or resting and eating the meals that Cas brought them. Once he saw they were able to get up and walk around and prepare their own meals, he stopped hovering over them every moment.

At the present moment, they were enjoying breakfast and their newspapers while Cas was out, each brother content with his own thoughts.

"Huh. That's weird," Dean said, breaking the quiet of the morning.

Sam snapped to attention, his Spidey-senses tingling. "Stop right there."

Dean glanced up at his brother. "What?"

"Whatever you're going to say next, don't say it," Sam said firmly. "I know we're both still exhausted from our last case, we haven't recovered yet, and I'm not about to go haring off on some goose chase just because you think something's weird."

Dean gave his brother a long look and set his newspaper aside. "Do you know how many goose chases we've gone on for even less than my thinking that there was something weird?"

"Too many to count, which is why I don't want you to tell me what you think is weird. I'm going to finish my coffee, and then I'm going to my room to spend some quality time with the Internet. Okay?"

"Aw, come on, Sam," Dean complained. "Aren't you a little tired of just sitting around? We could be out there doing something!"

Sam's eyebrows rose as he stared at his brother in disbelief. Sometimes, he questioned Dean's sanity. This was definitely one of those moments. "Really?"

"Really...what?"

"You think we're in a condition to go hunt something?" Sam wanted to know. "We're both still exhausted, Dean. Those shifters did a number on us. We're grown men and we're taking both morning and afternoon naps as well as getting twelve hours of sleep a night."

"Yeah, I'll admit that's troubling," Dean said. "But it's like Cas said, all we need to do is rest and we'll feel better in no time."

"It's been three weeks," Sam reminded him. "One week traveling back, another week with Cas watching after us, another week watching after ourselves, and we're still not back to one-hundred percent. Whatever thought you have in your head, put it away. If we try to hunt anything now, we'll get killed, and ten to one, we'll stay dead."

"People are in trouble," Dean said, saying the one sentence he knew would get his brother to listen. "Four people in this town have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, Sam. Tell me that it's not a case dying to be investigated!"

Sam groaned and carried his breakfast dishes to the sink. "No is no, Dean. Got it?"

"How about if I just go?" Dean suggested.

Sam had heard enough. "Castiel, if you have your ears on, then you need to get here quick. Dean's about to attempt something that's going to get him killed."

A rustle of feathers and Castiel was there, looking at the two of them with concern. "What do you mean?"

"That's a really low blow," Dean muttered, glaring at his brother. He knew Sam could be stubborn, but Castiel took stubborn to a whole new level. He knew very well from experience that Castiel was willing to go as far as he had to in order to keep someone he cared about safe, even if it meant locking that person up.

"What is it you're planning to do?" Castiel asked, fixing both brothers with a stare.

"We haven't decided to do anything," Dean said in his I'm-oh-so-reasonable voice. "We were just talking about a possible job, that's all."

Castiel looked Dean up and down. "You are in no condition to hunt."

"That's what I just got done telling him, but then he suggested going hunting alone," Sam told him.

"You're in even less condition to do that," Castiel said, sounding disturbed at the very thought.

"Thank you, Florence Nightingale," Dean growled while fixing his brother with a look.

"If telling Cas keeps you from doing something stupid, then I'll tell him."

"Traitor."

"You must stay here and rest, not go out and hunt," Castiel stated. "I'll brick up the door out of here if that's what it takes, but neither of you can go on a hunt right now."

"Cas, come on," Dean groaned. "We're not stupid kids here, huh? We can go and just take a look around. I didn't say we should jump right in, guns and knives at the ready."

"I know you, Dean. You would do that."

"You don't know that for sure," Dean said he turned to face Castiel. A second later he took a step back. Maybe Cas did know. At any rate, the look in the angel's eyes was making him very nervous.

"We both know you well enough to know that that is exactly what you would do," Sam said. "If we went to that town, it would just be a matter of time."

"How long are we going to argue about this?" Dean said, dropping back into his chair. "I'm getting tired of it already."

"If you agree that going hunting right now is a bad idea, then we'll drop the subject," Cas said pleasantly. "If you don't, I'll put you to sleep and keep you that way until I feel you've forgotten about it."

Dean's head whipped up to stare at his friend. "Don't you dare!"

"Don't give me a reason to do it," Cas said at his most implacable, his pleasant tone gone.

Dean took a deep breath and let it out. "Fine."

* * *

"This is your fault, you know," Dean said a week later.

Sam didn't look up from his book. "What's my fault?"

"Cas and his...hovering."

"You mentioned doing something stupid, and I told him about it. That doesn't mean that I'm the one who made him think that he had to hover over us again. He came to that conclusion on his own."

"You knew he would get hyper-vigilant," Dean complained. "He's got a real Florence Nightingale complex, you know."

"Yeah, I've come to realize that. Especially after last night."

Last night had been difficult. For some reason, both of them had had nightmares, awful ones where they'd woken up screaming, and that had led to a lot of fussing on Cas' part. He was there with hot drinks, extra blankets, and two listening ears. Somehow, he'd managed to calm them both and settle them so that they could get some more rest, but they knew that their nightmares had unsettled Castiel as much as they had unsettled them. Even now he was in the bunker's kitchen, preparing their lunch while they followed "doctor's orders" and relaxed in the sitting room.

"How long do you think he's going to hover? I thought he'd gotten it out of his system," Dean said thoughtfully.

"Well, we're both staying awake longer," Sam offered. "We only have a short afternoon nap now instead of one in the morning and the afternoon, and we sleep eight hours instead of twelve at night, so I'd say we're improving in that regard. We've also put back on some of the weight we've lost."

"That's because Cas keeps feeding us," Dean reminded him.

Sam felt a smile twitch the corners of his mouth. "I'm still curious how he learned to cook. Did he read a book, watch a show, or did someone teach him?"

"Even if we asked, I don't think he'd tell us," Dean said, stretching out on the couch.

Castiel arrived with their lunch a few minutes later, a creamy vegetable soup and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. He seemed very pleased when they both asked for seconds.

"I'm glad to see that your appetite is returning," Castiel said as he served up their next helpings. "How are you both feeling?"

"Pretty good, compared to how we felt when we first got back," Dean confessed, but then Cas' tone sank in. "Something wrong?"

Cas handed Dean a newspaper. "I think that your suspicions were correct, Dean. The disappearances you wanted to investigate have increased. Ten people are missing."

Dean gave Sam a look that said, See? I told you so.

"Oh, no," Sam groaned. "Please don't tell me that we're going to do this."

"The situation has become bad enough to be concerning and I feel that it should be checked," Castiel told them calmly. "Besides, I'll be with you."

That made them both pause. Dean blinked several times and looked at the angel. "You will?"

"Of course I will," Castiel said with a little smile. "I'll be watching over you for the entire trip. I think if we left tomorrow morning we'd be there by the evening, and we can start investigating the following morning. Leaving tomorrow morning will give you a chance to rest up before the trip." With that, he turned and left, carrying the lunch dishes toward the kitchen.

Dean fixed his brother with another glare. "Oh, this is SO totally your fault, Sam."

* * *

Nothing eventful happened on the trip except for Castiel insisting that Dean let him drive in the afternoon so both of the brothers could have their usual afternoon nap.

"I don't need a frickin' nap!" Dean snapped, his temper fraying.

Castiel's expression didn't change. "Ahh, is oo cwanky?"

That led to Dean pulling the car over and chasing Cas around it, shouting that he was a grown man and he most certainly was NOT cranky and that Cas really had to stop studying human popular culture. When Dean had to stop mid-chase and sit down for a moment, he confessed that he might need some rest after all.

"You've shown me how to drive, and I promise to be careful," Castiel said once Dean was calmer. "I'll obey the speed limits and traffic laws and I will use the appropriate gasoline if I need to refuel."

"I'm shotgun," Dean said, daring both his brother and the angel to object.

"Me being in the back means I get to stretch out," Sam said with a shrug. "You'll get no objections from me."

Dean settled into the passenger's seat, feeling as if he'd won the argument too easily, but oh well. Morpheus was calling.

* * *

They pulled into the town of Gray Falls that evening around six. There was only one hotel in town, a bed and breakfast with reasonable prices that served a pretty good buffet dinner as well. Sam and Dean both ate and retired to their room around eight-thirty, worn out beyond description.

"I still can't believe we're this tired," Dean complained as he sank down on his bed and flopped over to lie on his back.

"Neither can I," Sam agreed. "Do you think it was the traveling that made us this tired today?"

"Most likely," Dean said. "That, and everybody in this place wanting to say hi to us. The owner, her husband, their kids, the maids, the cook and kitchen staff..."

"They're pretty friendly people," Sam observed. "Do you think it's just small-town atmosphere?"

"Or something in the water."

They were almost both asleep when Cas arrived to report on the reconnaissance he'd done around town. Seeing that they were in no condition to take in anything he was saying, he encouraged them both to go to bed and pretty much helped them both under the covers. They both fell asleep as soon as they were prone.

The next morning was bright and sunny, and they headed downstairs to the dining room to dig into the house breakfast that was served up by people who were far too cheery at that hour.

"Wow," Dean breathed as soon as he saw the spread. There were eggs prepared three ways, crispy hashbrowns, toast, sausage links and patties, ham steaks, biscuits with gravy, bagels and muffins, and enough fruit to open a produce shop. There was coffee, coffee, and more coffee, as well as hot chocolate with whipped cream and tea.

"Okay, now I'm hungry," Sam said as he stared at the feast in front of him.

The owner overheard them. "Well, go ahead and eat, boys. Don't stand on ceremony!"

They needed no further invitation than that, and they joined Cas outside an hour later, full to the top and both very, very happy men.

"How was breakfast?" Cas asked with a knowing little smile.

"Of epic portions," Dean said as he slid into the driver's seat. "Half of it was probably a mistake. You guys ready to go?"

They spent the entire morning interviewing the families of those who'd disappeared and going over case files at the local police department, and one thing clearly stood out: everyone who had disappeared had all had something to do with a man called James Elder.

"That's interesting," Dean said after he'd gone over the case files again. "That's real interesting. They all meet with this rich guy and then within forty-eight hours they disappear."

"Rich guy in question has an estate outside of town," Sam continued. "Known as a model citizen, donated tons of money for the town's infrastructure and public institutions, like the schools, library, and hospital. The hospital, it turns out, would have had to close without that oh-so-generous donation, and since it's the biggest employer in the area, people in town really like this guy."

"He saves everybody's jobs, infuses a lot of money into the town, and lately, people have been disappearing when they cross his path...what's not to like?" Dean asked, closing the latest file.

Cas, who had been looking through the files next to Dean, glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's two o'clock."

"Yep," Dean said, pressing the heels of his hands into his eye sockets. "And?"

"It's time for your afternoon rest."

"And Florence Nightingale returns," Dean muttered. "Cas, we're working a case. We can't just stop in the middle for a nap."

Castiel gave Dean a very, very long look. "You can't see yourselves the way I see you," he said at last. "I can see every change in you since your last case. I can see the exhaustion that is in every cell of your bodies. Now, you need to rest. That was why I came with you on this job. You can either agree to rest and I'll wake you in a few hours, or I fly with you back to the bunker and keep you both asleep until you've recovered completely. It's your choice."

"You're not really giving us a choice," Sam said, setting aside the file he'd been studying. "But, since I'm really tired, I'm not going to argue."

"How about we keep working until the case is solved and then we'll take a vacation?" Dean suggested.

"Either you rest, or the Impala disappears," Castiel threatened.

"You wouldn't!" Dean said, his voice rising a bit. "You wouldn't dare! Cas, I swear, I'll never speak to you again!"

"Either you rest, or the Impala disappears, and I can promise that you'll never find it." He stopped and appeared to think. "Well, you might find a piece or two, but as for the rest..."

Sam was trying very hard not to laugh at the horrified expression on his brother's face.

"What the heck happened to you, Cas?" Dean asked, sounding completely lost. "You never used to threaten a man's wheels before."

"You were never so sick before," Cas answered. "When I first found you, you were closer to death than you knew. It...frightened me."

Just like that, Cas' hovering and sudden Florence Nightingale complex were explained.

"Okay, okay," Dean said, a bit shaken by Cas' confession. "We'll rest, as long as you promise to wake us up by five. How's that?"

Cas gave them both a smile. "That would be fine."

* * *

Five o'clock came, and it took them half an hour to wake up and get dressed for their visit to James Elder. They were going to be FBI agents again, Cas included, and they were hoping that Cas would be able to "hear" or "see" something out of the ordinary that would let them know that they were on the right track.

It took them a half-hour to find the Elder estate outside of town, and as they pulled up to the gate Dean let out a whistle. "Wow."

"We've seen a lot of houses, but I think this thing is big enough to qualify as a castle."

"All that's missing is the dragon," Dean said as he stared up at the stone exterior. Then, he realized just what he'd said. "On second thought, never mind. Dragons are more trouble than they're worth. The house is fine the way it is."

"That last dragon we faced off against was definitely enough," Sam agreed.

"That's odd," Castiel said after a moment. "You would think that the gates would be locked."

Dean and Sam both looked. Sure enough, they were open.

"Int'rusting," Dean drawled. "What do you guys think?"

"It could be an invitation," Castiel stated. "He might know that we were coming."

"Oh, boy," Dean sighed. "Sam?"

"Either it's really bad security employees, or it's what Cas said."

"Okay, let's go see what we can see."

Dean drove the Impala through the gates and up the drive to the front door. They parked, left the car, and headed up the marble stairs to the front door. Sam looked around the door. "Anyone see a doorbell?"

A click and then the door opened, spilling warm light onto the three of them. A butler stood there, smiling. "Good evening, gentlemen. You are expected."

"Excuse me?" Dean said, surprised.

"Mr. Elder is expecting you," the butler repeated calmly. "He said that two Misters Winchester and their friend would be coming. If you'll follow me, please."

Sam, Dean, and Castiel all exchanged looks. This was the last thing they'd expected. Dean stepped inside and followed the butler. "Hang on, what makes you think that we're these two Winchesters you expected?"

"The master showed me a photograph."

That answer made Dean stop in his tracks. "Okay, that explains it." It was an unsettling explanation. How did this guy have a photo of them?

"Indeed," the butler said. "Please follow me."

Cas and Sam both followed Dean, and Dean followed the butler across a huge foyer that went up for two stories, culminating in a bronze and crystal chandelier that looked at least a century old. Sam glanced up at the chandelier as they passed under and let out a low whistle. Swarovsky crystal, no less. This man was obscenely rich.

The butler turned to the right and slid back two French pocket doors. "The Misters Winchester and companion, sir."

"Thank you, Williams," they heard as the butler ushered all of them in. "How are preparations for dinner coming?"

"Just a few moments more, sir. Please excuse me." With that, the butler strode out of the room, sliding the doors closed behind him. That left the two Winchesters and Castiel alone, facing James Elder.

He was a man about forty or so, green eyes and sandy-haired, and his face was filled with character. He did, however, have a smile that suddenly made all three of them nervous. It was some subtle shift of the head or in the eyes that made such a pleasant-looking person suddenly seem very dangerous.

"He's not human," Castiel said very quietly to Dean.

"Somehow, I gathered that," Dean answered. "Can you smite him if things get hairy?"

Castiel shook his head, surprising both Winchesters. "He's very, very powerful. He's fully capable of killing me if he wished."

"Seriously?" Sam whispered. "That's..."

"Very troubling," Castiel said, finishing Sam's sentence.

"Hello, boys," Mr. Elder said warmly. "Have you had a good trip?"

"Great, thanks," Sam said. Belatedly he realized that Castiel had shifted his position so that he stood in front of him and Dean. Oddly enough, he felt much safer. It was no small thing to have an angel on your side.

"How do you know who we are?" Dean asked in his no-bullshit tone. "You showed your butler a photo of us."

"Why shouldn't I know you two?" Mr. Elder countered.

"Because…we've never seen you before, I don't think we've ever met, and the name 'James Elder' isn't one that we remember," Dean said. "So, how do you know us?"

James Elder smiled, and this time, it was a very warm and happy smile. All trace of danger vanished. "Would it surprise you to hear that we're family?"

Sam's eyebrows shot toward his hair. "It would surprise me very much."

"Ditto," Dean added. "What do you mean 'family'?"

The doors opened, revealing the butler again. "Dinner is served, gentlemen."

"I hope you boys are hungry," Mr. Elder said, coming out from behind his desk and heading toward the door.

"Actually, we'd like to ask you a few questions," Castiel said, following him. "It won't take long."

Mr. Elder turned to face Castiel. "Actually, they need to eat, so you'll all join me at supper. They've not been well lately, so they shouldn't skip meals."

"How the hell did you know that?" Dean demanded, more than a little fed up with all the little mysteries they kept stumbling across.

Mr. Elder simply smiled and led the way into the dining room, leaving the Winchesters and Castiel to follow. Since they wouldn't get any answers standing around in the hall, they followed him.

"Williams is an excellent cook," Mr. Elder said as he took his seat at the head of the table. "Really, he's the best I've had."

"Yeah, that's great," Dean said, wanting to cut right to the chase. "How do you know who we are? How did you know we'd be coming, and what in the hell did you mean when you said we were family?"

"Dean, you're on my right, and Sam, you'll be on my left. Castiel, you sit to Dean's right," Mr. Elder directed, deftly ignoring the question. "Once you're seated, we can have supper and talk, and I'll answer your questions."

Dean gave a long-suffering sigh and dropped into his seat like a sack of bricks, leaning his elbows on the edge of the table and resting his chin on his hands, both eyebrows raised as if to say, Well? Sam and Castiel took their seats with a bit more grace and looked toward their host.

"So, are we going to talk or what?" Dean asked.

"Of course, dear boy. First of all, let me ask a question. How are you and Sam feeling?"

"Fine," Sam answered, feeling completely weirded out. Here they were, in a dining room that looked like it had been pulled from the pages of a Victorian novel (with full place settings, no less!), about to have dinner with someone who was not human and who claimed to be related to them. The situation just kept getting stranger.

"I'm glad to hear it. It's never any fun when you're ill."

The door opened, revealing Williams once again, carrying a covered silver tray that was giving off the most tempting aroma. Dean and Sam both felt their mouths water and their stomachs complain that they weren't eating what was making such incredible smells. Williams placed the tray on the sideboard, uncovered the steaming dishes, and placed a serving on each of the chargers. Then, with what seemed to be his usual butler efficiency, he departed.

Dean looked down at his plate as the aroma of bacon and scallops reached him. He wasn't sure if he should eat or not. This guy wasn't human...Could they trust any food he gave them?

"Do dig in," Mr. Elder invited them, placing his napkin in his lap and picking up his own fork for the appetizer. "Please don't be shy. I asked Williams to prepare a menu for young men, and he assured me that you would find it appealing."

Sam examined the bacon-wrapped scallops and sighed. "Okay. Could we have your word that you haven't done anything to the food?"

"Such as?" Mr. Elder prompted. He seemed vastly amused by the question.

"Well, like what happened with Persephone in the underworld. If we eat anything you give us, will we be able to leave? Or, like with the Sidhe. Mortals who ate food in their realm were unable to leave for twenty years or a century. Will that happen to us? Will our free will be taken away?"

Mr. Elder threw his head back and laughed. "Goodness, no!" he managed after a minute or so. "No, this is perfectly normal food, nothing nefarious about it. Even if you eat everything placed before you tonight at my table and on every other night, nothing will change. I won't try to enchant you or trap you using food. All three of you have my word on it."

"And whose word would we have?" Castiel asked. "You're not human, but you're not a shifter, not a vampire...what are you, and what is your name?"

Mr. Elder smiled before taking a sip of water. "It's a mark of how little I fear you, Castiel, that I'll tell you my name. Belenus."

Castiel sat back in his chair. "I see. I wasn't able to sense that about you. You're very good at hiding your true nature."

"After so many years living on this earth, hiding my true nature has become a refined skill."

"Belenus?" repeated Dean.

"A pagan god," Sam told him. "Celtic god of fire and the sun, science, healing, success and prosperity, purification, crops and vegetation, and fertility."

"That's quite a list," Dean said. "And you say that we're family?"

Belenus nodded. "Yes."

Seeing that no further explanation was coming, Sam cleared his throat. "How?"

Belenus looked at their still-full plates. "How about we make a bargain? You eat, and I'll talk. All right?"

Dean picked up his fork and stabbed a scallop, put it in his mouth, and chewed. Sam took one as well, and Castiel seemed stymied. As an angel, he didn't eat. Well, he was sure that Belenus would understand.

"Imagine that you're a young god," Belenus said as Sam and Dean started on their second scallops. "Thousands of people worship you. You're praised each Beltane, and maidens flock to you. Of course, those maidens will eventually become mothers, and some of the children they bear will be yours. Over the years you sire many children, and they grow and have children of their own, their children have children, and so on. Each child is a mark of your bloodline. Time passes, and a new god comes in. You're forgotten, and you're left to live your life without anyone knowing your true name or nature. You still delight in your descendants, but imagine your shock one day when you realize that your descendants are gone. Each bloodline you sired has ended. You despair, thinking of all the children you had and how not one of their bloodlines survived."

By this point, the scallops were finished and Williams returned with his tray, which held a tureen and soup bowls. He dished up and served them all mushroom and wild rice soup and winked out of sight so quickly that Dean was reminded of the bird in a cuckoo clock.

"And what happened after that?" Dean asked, ignoring his soup. "How do we come into it?"

Belenus glanced at his setting. "You've stopped eating."

"How about we quit playing this game and you just give us a straight answer, huh?"

Belenus' eyes hardened, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Sam nearly had a heart attack from shock when his hand moved on its own, picked up the soup spoon, dipped it into the soup, and lifted it to his mouth. A moment later his mouth opened, the spoon went in, and he swallowed the mouthful of soup.

"What the hell!" Dean yelled as soon as he'd swallowed his own spoonful of soup.

"My sentiments exactly," Castiel said as his hand lowered his spoon back into the soup. "Belenus, I have to tell you..." He swallowed another spoonful. "...I don't need to eat. It isn't necessary."

"Once Dean agrees to eat on his own, then I'll stop."

"Dean, if you would, please," Castiel said just before his spoon went into his mouth. He chewed the soft bits in the soup and swallowed. "This could be...unpleasant...later."

"Dean!" Sam said when it looked like his brother was about to be stubborn. "I REALLLY don't like this!"

Dean was trying with might and main to resist the compulsion that was gripping him, forcing him to eat, but it was useless. "Fine! Fine! Just...stop this!"

A snap of the fingers, and the compulsion fled. Castiel dropped his spoon and it landed with a splat in his soup as he sagged in his chair in relief. Dark murder burned in his eyes as he looked up at Belenus. "Never...do...that...again."

Belenus smiled, his eyes alight with amusement. "You're welcome to try preventing me, Castiel. How was your soup?"

Cas looked ready to gank Belenus with a fork.

Sam took another spoonful of soup, still feeling a bit shaky. He really didn't want to eat any more, but he didn't dare not to. He noticed with relief that Dean was eating as well. He looked as if he was having trouble swallowing, but he was eating.

"I'm glad you decided to be sensible, my boy," he told Dean.

"Let's not go into that right now," Dean said, controlling the tone and volume of his voice with herculean effort. "What I would like to know is how we come into all this. What makes you so sure that we're related to you? How on earth can you possibly tell that?"

"Blood always calls to blood," Belenus told him. "I was in Las Vegas several years ago, and I saw the two of you. I felt the call that I have not felt for centuries. You two, Dean and Sam, are of my blood, the only ones in the world."

Sam shrugged as Williams returned. "I haven't felt anything. Dean?"

"Nope," Dean said as Williams served them roast beef with roast potatoes and carrots. "Nothing."

"You wouldn't, would you?" Belenus said as he dug into his roast beef. "Mostly only gods can, you know."

"I had no idea," Dean muttered as he picked up his fork and stabbed the meat with it. He really looked as if he wanted to stab Belenus.

"I wanted to meet you two," Belenus told them, keeping up his side of the bargain. They were eating, so he talked. "I soon learned you were hunters, which meant I had to tread carefully. You could have killed me if I'd given you a reason, so I set up a little mystery for you to solve, and you came right to me. It took some serious planning, let me tell you, and not an insignificant amount of money, but I consider every cent well worth it."

"What happened to the people who disappeared?" Sam asked.

"They are downstairs, sleeping. One by one, they'll wake up and go about their business now that you two are here. They've served their purpose."

"And how are they going to explain their disappearances to the police?" Dean asked, taking a bite of potato before mashing the rest with his fork.

"I'll handle it," Belenus promised. "Everything will be explained, and the police will be satisfied. It's not my first time dealing with the authorities, you know. Nothing to worry about."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks. They doubted it would be as simple as Belenus was saying.

"So you lured us here with a phony case just to have dinner?" Dean wanted to know.

"And to talk to you," Belenus added. "You wouldn't believe how much I've been looking forward to this. Are you finished with the roast beef? I believe Williams has made pie of some sort for dessert."

Dean froze. "Pie?"

"Don't you like pie?" Belenus asked, concerned.

"No, pie's great," Dean said, suddenly sounding happier.

Williams arrived then with his tray, and on it was a chocolate silk pie garnished with chocolate curls. Williams served them all with his usual efficiency and then he was gone, leaving them to talk.

Dean took a bite of his slice of pie and let out a little groan. "Oh, this is perfect."

Belenus gave Dean a fond smile. "I'm glad. Where are you boys staying?"

"In town," Sam answered, still surprised at Dean's reaction to pie. He supposed that there was pie and there was...well, pie.

"That's a good distance," Belenus said, glancing at the clock. "It will be time for you to get some rest soon."

Not before I finish my pie, Dean thought. It was too good to leave any on his plate.

Castiel sat up and looked at both Winchesters. "He's right."

Dean quickly put the last bite of pie in his mouth. "It's..." Dean stopped and stared at the clock. "How long have we been here? The clock says it's eight-thirty already, but we got here...when?"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Belenus told him. "After all, time flies when you're having fun. Why don't you boys stay here tonight? There's plenty of room, and I would be happy to have you here."

All three of them had alarm bells going off. He was too eager to have them stay.

"We can always come back tomorrow," Dean pointed out. "After all, we still have questions."

The mood in the room shifted, and the food they'd eaten turned leaden in their stomachs. It was as if the candles on the table were burning too brightly while the shadows in the corners of the room grew darker. At the same time, it got colder. Some shift in Belenus' face had all of them on their feet, backing away.

"I'm glad you still have questions, but why don't I save you the trip?" He raised his hand, they heard the fingers snap, and...

Blackness.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Dean woke up, he was too tired to open his eyes, and he really couldn't tell where he was. He could tell from the feel of the bed that it wasn't his bed at the bunker, and it was definitely not a hotel bed. The sheets were too nice, the mattress was too soft, and being wrapped in comfort like this was not what he was used to when he was out hunting.

He lay still for a very long time, unable to move, surrounded by the sheets and comforter and what felt like enough pillows for an army. He tried to open his eyes, to roll to his side, to sit up, but his body wouldn't budge. He was so, so tired.

Every now and then, he heard a door open, someone approach the bed, and then leave again. They never spoke and he could never work up the energy to open his eyes, let alone ask who it was. It was the weirdest thing, being awake and asleep at the same time. The only thing weirder than that was dreaming while he was awake and asleep. Images of his entire life flashed through his head, times when he'd done well, times he'd failed, times he'd tried so hard to succeed and still failed, and times when he'd given up.

That part really, really sucked.

There were other times, though, that didn't make much sense to him. It was like someone else's dreams were in his head and taking him along for the ride. They were beautiful, though. He saw stars shining through the branches of trees in a forest, stars reflected in a still pool of water, sunrises and sunsets, and bonfires at night. They were odd, but strangely, they were peaceful dreams.

That was the way things were for a while, but it changed when he heard a door open again. Someone approached his bed, just like always, but for the first time, someone spoke.

"It's good to see you resting, Dean," he heard someone say. The voice set alarm bells off in his head, but he couldn't remember why. "You'll wake up in a little while, but you'll feel a little confused and weak. Don't let it worry you; your strength will come back and your head will clear after some time. Someone will bring you some breakfast, you'll eat, and I promise you'll feel much more like yourself."

Then, a hand rested on his forehead for a moment, and then his eyes were open. He looked around, wondering why he expected to see someone, but he was the only one in the room, and what a room! He was in a large, four-poster bed in a huge room. He could see a fireplace and sitting area across from the bed, and the fire burning there lent the entire room a cozy air. To his right were double doors leading to a balcony, and there was an entertainment center in the corner. There were ornate rugs on the floor that just begged for bare feet to walk across them, and plush, over-stuffed chairs that were crying out for someone to sink into them. In fact, the entire room encouraged one to relax and take it easy.

"Wow," he breathed as soon as what he as looking at made sense to his foggy brain. This couldn't be a hotel. He and his brother could never afford something like this, and they knew better than to try and check into one, so what were they doing here?

The door opened and a butler shuffled in, carrying a silver tray. "Good morning, Master Dean," he said brightly. "I hope you slept well."

Dean stared at him, his brain working to catch up. He looked familiar... "Wilson?"

"Williams, sir," the butler said, unruffled. "I've brought your breakfast. I hope you're hungry." So saying, he helped Dean sit up, piled pillows behind him, and placed the tray across his knees.

Dean stared at the tray. There was hot toast with butter, a bowl of hot cereal, and a mug of what looked like very rich hot chocolate. Aside from the toast, there wasn't anything he usually ate for breakfast, but for some reason, everything on that tray made him want to eat it.

"If you need anything, sir, just pull the bell," Williams said, showing Dean a bell pull that hung next to his bed.

Dean thanked him and dug into his breakfast while Williams left to do something butler-y. He'd managed the toast, most of the cereal, and was laying waste to the hot chocolate when someone opened the door a crack and peeked in at him. A second later Sam hurried in, dressed in pajamas, robe, and slippers. "Dean?"

"Morning," Dean said. "Good to see you, Sammy. Is anything about this place making sense?"

"It'll make sense in a few minutes," Sam promised him. "How long you been awake?"

"Just a bit. Why?"

"You'll remember soon."

Dean stared at his brother. "Remember what?" Just then, he did. Everything. Their last case…recovering at the bunker…the trip to their new case…and walking right into Belenus' house. "Oh."

"Yeah," Sam said, sinking into an armchair.

Dean set the tray aside, left his bed and sat across from Sam. He was surprised at how tired he still felt. "Do you feel as if you've slept a really long time?"

"I think we did," Sam confessed. "Did you have weird dreams?"

Dean cringed. "Yep." Some of them he didn't want to think about. "Have you seen Belenus yet?"

Sam shook his head. "Just Williams."

Dean felt a twinge of concern. "What about Cas? He was with us."

"I haven't seen Cas," Sam had to admit.

"Well, we have to find him," Dean said, getting to his feet and heading for the dresser by the bed. "Once I'm dressed, we can find Cas. Any idea where our clothes are?" He stopped, confused. There were plenty of pajamas, underwear, socks, and a few robes, and underneath the dresser were a few pairs of slippers, but there were no other kinds of clothes. "What the hell?"

"That was all I found in my room," Sam told him. "Otherwise, I'd be dressed. I'm thinking Belenus doesn't want us to leave."

"Wonderful," Dean muttered, pulling on a robe and slippers. It was better than being cold, at least. "Let's find Cas."

Finding Cas was not so easy. Once they left Dean's room they started wandering the halls, but they had no idea where Cas might be. Even worse, it was a big house with multiple floors. They found bedrooms, studies, two game rooms, more bedrooms, six sitting rooms, at least three television rooms, a huge bathroom with a sunken tub big enough to qualify as a swimming pool, more bedrooms, a few lounges, and a library that made Sam stop in his tracks and stare in awe, but no Cas.

When they came to yet another sitting room, Dean sank onto the couch. "Okay, let's just sit here a minute."

Sam dropped into a chair. "Sounds like a plan. How long have we been searching?"

"No clue," Dean confessed. "Feels like hours."

"Might have been," Sam agreed. "What are we going to do? We've been wandering for ages, upstairs and down, and you know what we haven't found?"

"Where we were last night," Dean said, sensing where his brother was going with this.

Sam nodded. "Right. How do we get down to the ground floor in this place?"

"That might be the next thing we need to find out, once we find where Cas is. At least with all the searching we've done, we've found out where he isn't."

"That's something, at least."

It was very, very hard for them to get up and start searching again, but they managed it. It wasn't long before Dean stopped and looked up and down the hallway. "Hang on. He's a pagan god. We're going about this all wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"He's probably done something to the house so that we don't find what we're looking for," Dean said. "Could some gods mess with reality and shift things around? What if he's making us walk around in circles? I mean, doesn't this house seem just a bit big? Where does it end?"

A nearby chuckle had both of them whipping around, startled. Belenus stood there, grinning at them. "That's a very clever notion, Dean, but in this particular case, it's wrong. I just have a very big house."

"Good to hear," Dean said, watching Belenus carefully. He really didn't like not knowing what to expect in a situation or from a person, pagan god or not.

"Did you two sleep well?"

"Very well," Sam said, just as vigilant as Dean. "How long were we asleep?"

"Four days, all told."

Dean stared. "Four DAYS?"

Belenus nodded and gave them a fond smile. "You two needed the rest."

"Okay," Dean said, tucking that tidbit away and telling himself not to freak out. "Where's Cas?"

Belenus' eyebrows rose and he looked vastly amused. "Castiel? I've had Williams watching after him."

"Cas pretty much takes care of himself," Sam pointed out.

Belenus chuckled again, looking as if he were enjoying an immensely funny joke. "Yes, doesn't he? Williams has found him quite the challenge."

"Meaning what?" Dean demanded. If Belenus had hurt Cas, he'd have a Winchester riot on his hands!

"I'll show you. Follow me, you two."

What else could they do but follow? Belenus led them down a hallway that they knew they hadn't seen before and then down another hall and there they were at the top of the sweeping staircase that they'd seen the night before. They followed him down the stairs and across the foyer into a sitting room, where Belenus invited them to have a seat.

"So, where's Cas?" Dean asked as he took his seat.

"Patience," Belenus counseled him. "He'll be here in just a moment."

The sound of pounding feet followed perhaps a minute later and then Castiel rushed into the room, running full tilt. He skidded to a halt as soon as he saw Belenus. "You! What in the name of all of Heaven have you unleashed on me?!"

Of all things the two Winchesters had expected, that was most definitely not one of them.

"Cas, what's the matter?" Dean asked, getting to his feet.

"That butler is not _human_!" Cas said, sounding like a man dangling at the end of his rope.

"Then what is he?" Sam asked.

"Evil incarnate!" Cas cried, running his fingers through his hair in agitation. Such an action only served to draw attention to how exhausted Cas seemed. His face was pale and drawn and there were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair was sticking up in every direction. "I haven't had a moment's rest since the two of you fell asleep and he told that Williams creature to look after me!"

Footsteps sounded in the hallway. "Master Castiel?"

Cas looked ready to use his angel blade on Belenus. "Call him off. NOW."

Belenus grinned at Castiel. "Not enjoying the attention, Castiel?"

"There will be bloodshed if this continues," Castiel threatened. "Make him stop."

The smile Belenus gave him was the same one an adult would use when indulging a child. Williams entered the room and stopped when he saw his master. "Williams, that will be all for right now."

Williams gave a small bow. "Yes, sir." With that, he turned and left.

Castiel dropped into a chair and lay there like an old suit someone had forgotten. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Belenus told him.

"Cas, are you okay?" Dean asked, surprised to see Cas just sitting there.

"I will be."

"I thought angels didn't get tired."

"Usually, we don't. Right now, I have good reason to be."

Dean and Sam both waited. Finally, Dean said, "Care to elaborate on that?"

"Not really," Cas stated. He opened one eye and glanced at the clock. "You two should eat something. It's time for lunch."

 _And Florence Nightingale returns_ , Dean thought with a mental sigh. Then his stomach growled. Maybe Cas had a point.

"I'm sure Williams will have something for us in the dining room," Belenus said, leading the way. "Let's go see, hmm?"

Once again, Dean and Sam were left to follow Belenus. Dean stopped and glanced back at Cas. "Cas, are you going to be okay?"

"Yes," Cas said, still sounding exhausted. Slowly, he made his way to his feet and followed Dean. "Are you and Sam all right?"

"Belenus said we've been asleep for four days."

"That is true."

"Really?"

"Yes. I couldn't find you to wake you up, and I had Williams to deal with. He was…relentless."

"Belenus said that Williams was watching after you."

"Hell hounds are less diligent in their pursuit of prey than Williams is."

Dean glanced at his friend. That was a hell of a statement to make and it left Dean wondering just how Williams had been 'watching after' Cas. "Wow."

"Exactly."

They reached the dining room and found the table set for a family-style meal. There was roast chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, peas, baby carrots, and rolls with butter. It all smelled fantastic.

"Eat slowly," Belenus advised them as they took their seats. "Being asleep for so long, you don't want to shock your stomach by eating quickly."

"Yeah, why _did_ you make us sleep for four days?" Sam wanted to know as he sat down. "And where the heck are our clothes? I feel ridiculous walking around in a bathrobe at lunchtime!"

"Your clothes are being washed, Master Samuel," Williams said happily as he poured water for each of them.

"For four days?" Dean asked.

"They were dirty, and the master sent me to retrieve your things from your room at the bed and breakfast. The clothing you have in your bags needs quite a bit of attention," Williams said calmly.

"Besides, new clothes will be arriving this afternoon. You'll need more than what you brought with you," Belenus added.

Sam and Dean both looked at Belenus. "New clothes?" Sam asked.

"Of course," Belenus said, passing the potatoes to Dean. "It's as Williams said. You'll need more clothes to wear than the few changes that you brought with you."

"You sound as if you're intending us to stay." Dean fastened Belenus with a glare, and his statement was not a question.

"Of course you will," Belenus said. "Where else should you be but with the only family you have left? Besides, with all the hunting you've done and all the supernatural beings you've made angry, the safest place for you would be with me."

"Thanks, but we're not looking for a new home," Dean said, setting the potatoes aside. Suddenly, he was no longer hungry.

"Nonsense," Belenus said. "You are the last of my bloodline. You two deserve much better than the life you've had so far. You deserve the absolute best—a fine home, servants to attend you, and a guardian who will protect you. You will remain here and be the princes that you are."

"Um…we're not royalty," Sam reminded him.

"Since he is a pagan god, and you two are of his bloodline, then technically, I suppose, in _human_ terms..." Castiel began thoughtfully.

"Don't enable him Cas!" Dean snapped. He looked Belenus in the eye. "No."

Belenus put down his water glass. "No...what?"

"We're not staying," Dean said firmly. "We're not princes, and just because you say we're related, it doesn't mean that we're family. Sam and I are not staying here. As soon as we're dressed, we're leaving."

Belenus gave Dean a lazy smile. "Are you sure, Dean?"

"Yes, very sure," Dean said coldly. "Williams, where are our clothes?"

"Being washed."

"Well, take them out of the washer and put them in the dryer. We need to leave."

"The master has not given me permission," Williams stated.

"Williams will only follow an order from you if I have given him prior permission to follow it," Belenus told them. "Now, you're being silly."

Sam stared at him. "Silly?"

"Very silly," Belenus stated. "You're both ill and exhausted, but here you are, refusing to eat the meal that's been provided and you are stating an intention to leave at the first possible opportunity. Tell me, Sam: do you feel fully recovered?"

"Not yet," Sam admitted. "But that doesn't mean that we have to recover here."

"You have all the things you need for your recovery here, but you are refusing to advantage of them, so we return to describing your behavior as being very silly. Is this how two grown men behave?" Belenus said, raising his hand and snapping his fingers. Immediately, Williams turned and served the Winchesters and Castiel, and in no time at all, they had full plates.

Dean stared Belenus down. "Don't you dare snap your fingers again," he said, remembering the last meal they'd eaten at Belenus' table.

"You know what to do to forestall that, don't you?"

Sam and Dean both glared at him, but the sound of a growling stomach surprised all of them, and a second later Dean, Sam, and Belenus were fighting back laughter. Another growl left them helpless and sprawled in their chairs, laughing hard enough to leave them breathless. A glance at anyone else at the table sent them back into fits of laughter again.

"What is so funny?" Castiel said once they'd calmed down.

They nearly fell out of their chairs at that.

"Well, we now know that our senses of humor are similar," Belenus said, sitting up in his chair. "Oh, that was priceless."

Dean was still chuckling. "I guess we know who's really in charge, here."

Belenus threw his head back and roared, pounding his hands on the edge of the table. In no time, Dean and Sam were chuckling again, trying their hardest not to laugh, but helpless to avoid it.

Eventually, they all calmed down, and Belenus straightened in his chair. "Oh, it's been years since I've laughed like that. Thank you both."

"Thank our stomachs," Sam said, unable to resist.

Belenus grinned at him, and then at Dean. "It is wonderful to have you both here, but...well, I propose a truce."

Dean glanced from him to Sam and back again. "Truce?"

"Yes, a truce. You've made it clear that you don't wish to stay, but you do need to recover from being ill. Why not agree to stay two weeks?"

"Two weeks?" Dean echoed.

"Yes, two weeks," Belenus repeated. "During that time, you'll be able to rest as much as you'd like, your meals will be taken care of, and everything you would need will be provided. Best of all, two weeks will give us a chance to get to know each other."

"I still don't see why you're so eager to get to know us," Sam admitted. "Yeah, we might be distantly related, but that doesn't mean..." he stopped, unsure of where he was going with that.

"Let me see if I can explain," Belenus said. "When us pagan gods came into being, we were told that we must protect and guard the world and the people who lived on it. Despite being worshiped by countless mortals, they were still mortals, and there were precious few gods in comparison. By having a family, a god wouldn't feel so alone in the midst of thousands. Having descendants also meant that he had given some small part of himself to the world he'd been charged with protecting."

Put that way, Belenus' insistence on getting to know them made a great deal of sense.

"And we're the only two left out of all those descendants you used to have?" Dean asked, feeling a surprising twinge of pity for Belenus.

"The only two," Belenus confirmed. "I've traveled the world, but you were the only two I could sense that belonged to my bloodline."

Sam and Dean both glanced at Cas, wondering if the angel would be able to sense anything that they had missed. He shrugged and looked uncertain.

"Well," Dean said thoughtfully. "Would you be willing to agree to some conditions for our stay here?"

"Such as?" Belenus prompted.

"No snapping your fingers to force us to eat," Dean said, ticking things off on his fingers. "No forcing us to go to sleep, no locking us up, no siccing Williams on Cas..."

"Absolutely not," Cas agreed. "I might end up killing him if you did that again."

"And no messing with our dreams, or digging through our heads," Sam added hastily. "I've got a strong feeling that you did that while we were sleeping."

Belenus looked surprised. "You're not supposed to be able to sense that. Mortals aren't supposed to be able to, anyway. It looks like my blood shows pretty strongly in you, if you sensed all that."

"Why did you do that, anyway?" Dean wanted to know.

"I was checking to see if you needed any healing aside from physical healing," Belenus said with a sigh.

Both Sam's and Dean's expressions went stony. "And did you find out if we did?" Sam asked.

Belenus looked at both of them. "You've both managed to live eternities in relatively short lives, and you've lived them well. As for healing...perhaps. If you don't manage it on your own over time...then yes."

Neither of them knew what to do with that answer. It wasn't exactly the sort of statement to which you could give a glib answer.

"If we agree to stay, what will happen?" Dean asked. "Will we be required to do anything?"

"Only what you want to do," Belenus assured him. "You could spend the whole time in bed with a book, if you wanted, or you could wander the house and grounds as you pleased. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"What will happen when the two weeks are up?" Dean asked, not quite ready to commit himself or Sammy yet. He still wasn't sure if they could trust Belenus.

"You will be allowed to go, and I'll do nothing to prevent you from going," Belenus said calmly. "Although, I do hope that you'll keep in touch, at least, and I wouldn't be at all averse to visits."

Neither Dean nor Sam knew what to say. They were both thinking hard. Was there something that they weren't seeing? Had they missed anything?

"You don't have to give me an answer this moment," Belenus told them. "Let's enjoy our lunch, and then you can have the rest of the afternoon to talk it over, and you can let me know your decision at dinner."

"What if we decided to leave right now?" Castiel asked.

Belenus smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "If you can manage it, then you deserve to leave."

Castiel nodded. "So, in short, we either agree to two weeks, or you keep us here until we figure out a way to leave."

"If you want to be stubborn about the finer points, then yes," Belenus muttered, clearly peeved that Cas had figured out what he _hadn't_ said. "You have to admit, though, that two weeks is better than never going at all. I would much prefer it if you agreed to make this place your home, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

"We'll take the rest of today and think about it," Dean said, picking up his knife and fork. He took a bite of chicken and chewed. "Mmm. Yeah, let's focus on eating lunch right now. This is good."

Sam dug in, and Castiel just looked at his plate. He'd really have to have a word about Belenus about how he didn't need to eat.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Dean woke up and stretched, feeling at peace with the entire world. He was warm and cozy and the sofa he was lying on was the most comfortable piece of furniture he'd ever had the good fortune to sleep on. Someone had spread a fleece blanket over him and with that, he was perfectly happy to spend the next few centuries or so just lying there.

Wait…when did he lay down? He shifted and turned his head, looking around, trying to figure out just where he was. Relief flooded through him when he spotted Sam on the same couch, catty-corner to him. He was still asleep, under a blanket and dead to the world. "Sam?"

Sam shifted and rolled over, wrapping up in his blanket like a caterpillar.

Dean groaned, grabbed the back of the couch, and pulled himself to a sitting position. He swung his feet over the side of the couch and somehow made it to a standing position. As soon as he had, he got a good look at the room where they were, and he just had to stop for a moment and stare.

It was the best rumpus room he'd ever seen. Overstuffed chairs and ottomans, a huge U-shaped couch, bean bag chairs, and an entertainment center to make the gods weep. Shelves held DVDs and video games, and he could see four different game consoles. More shelves held tons of board games. There was even a mini basketball hoop, a pinball machine, and two arcade games!

 _Holy crap! This guy Belenus is serious about his fun_ , Dean thought, going over to Sam and shaking him.

"Whaaaaat?" Sam groaned, trying to push his brother away. "What is it? Go away."

"We just had another nap, Sammy," Dean said. "Wake up."

Sam's eyes snapped open and he jackknifed to a sitting position. "Aw, you're kidding me! How much more are we going to sleep?"

"Dunno," Dean said, dropping back onto the couch. "I have to say, though, I like this couch. This is one comfy couch."

Sam looked thoughtful. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Belenus was showing us around the house, and then he said he thought we looked tired…and then we woke up here."

"Do you think he snapped his fingers?" Sam wanted to know.

"He promised he wouldn't if we agreed to two weeks."

"Which we haven't done yet," Sam reminded him. "Is Cas here?"

"Here," Cas said, appearing next to them. "Sorry, I've been keeping an eye on Belenus and Williams. Are you two all right?"

"Yeah, fine," Dean said. "Just what the heck happened, though? One second, we were on a house tour, and then we woke up here."

"You were tired," Cas said, taking a seat on an ottoman. "Belenus brought us to this room-which is yours, by the way, he said so-and both of you headed straight for the couch and lay down. Since then, you've been asleep."

"How long have we been asleep?" Dean asked.

"Two and a half hours," Cas told him. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'll never be able to sleep normally again," Dean muttered, feeling ticked off. "Did he snap his fingers?"

Cas shook his head. "No."

Sam nodded. "Okay. Wait, what did you mean when you said this room is ours?"

"That was what Belenus said when he brought us here," Cas explained. "He said this room was for you to have fun in."

"So…he gave us a play room?" Dean said, feeling a bit worried at that. Just why he was worried, he couldn't say.

Cas looked around the room, but he didn't say anything, which was answer enough, Dean supposed. It _was_ a pretty awesome room.

"What's Belenus and Williams been up to?" Sam asked.

"Belenus has been in his office since you fell asleep. He's been making phone calls, sending emails, and working on his computer. Williams has been in your rooms, putting clothes away."

"Clothes?" Sam echoed. "So, he finished washing our clothes?"

"And the new ones that Belenus purchased on your behalf," Cas stated.

"Oh, he didn't." Sam looked ready to kill something.

Cas nodded. "He did. I think he really wishes you to stay."

"Yeah, we still have to decide about that," Dean reminded them both. "Thoughts?"

"We may not have a choice," Sam pointed out. "Don't you remember from earlier? Either we agree to the two weeks, or he just doesn't let us go."

"Can we trust him, though, to let us go after two weeks?" Dean wondered.

"I feel that he wants to build a relationship with you two, and the best way for him to sabotage that would be to keep you here by force," Castiel said. "He's given you a way to leave and the option to return if you wish it."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, there's that. If he just wanted to keep us here, he wouldn't give us a chance to go. Actually, now that I think about it, his threat to keep us here if we didn't agree to the two weeks is kind of what a parent would do."

Dean stared at his brother. "Come again?"

"Well, what do you do with a kid that you think is intent on doing something stupid?" Sam pointed out. "You keep him where you can keep an eye on him. He thought we were being silly by refusing to stay here and recuperate."

"Okay, now that you've said it, that makes a weird sort of sense," Dean agreed. "So, what do you guys think? Stay two weeks? Run for the hills?"

"The whole situation makes me want to run for the hills," Sam admitted. "I mean, this guy can't just want to get to know us. It's never something so simple."

Castiel shrugged. "I agree with Sam, but at the same time, I'm not certain that an attempt to run for the hills would be successful. He's a very powerful pagan god and he is more than a match for me. If it came down to combat, then I would not win."

"How can a pagan god be more powerful than an angel?" Dean asked, remembering what had happened to the pagan gods who had gone up against Lucifer. "I mean, Lucifer was able to take out a bunch of them."

"Lucifer is an archangel," Castiel reminded him. "I am not. Plus, Belenus is…it's likely he's easily twice as powerful as those other gods, but my guess that he's a great deal more powerful than that. I don't know why, but he has somehow become very, very powerful. I think the best bet we have is to go along with what he wants."

They both stared at Cas. After a moment, Sam took a deep breath. "Cas, how powerful do you think Belenus is, exactly?"

Cas looked as if he wished Sam hadn't asked the question. "It's only a guess, but I'd say he's powerful enough to decimate the planet and cause complete devastation."

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "Wow. Don't sugarcoat it, Cas."

"How can a pagan god be that powerful?" Dean asked.

Cas shook his head. "I don't know, and I don't like not knowing."

"What makes you think he can do all that?" Sam asked.

Cas just _looked_ at him.

"Right. Never mind. Okay, so we stay?"

"Two weeks, and then we run for the hills," Dean said with a smile. "Okay. What should we now?"

"If Williams is putting away clothes, then I'm going to go get dressed," Sam said, heading for the door.

"Ditto," Dean said, feeling more than a little tired of wandering around in a robe and pajamas.

They returned to their rooms and managed to convince Williams that yes, they could pick out their own outfits, and no, they didn't need his help, and they returned to the rumpus room feeling a little shell-shocked. Belenus had not only bought clothes for them, he'd bought entire wardrobes. Both Dean and Sam had plenty of jeans and shirts and necessaries like underwear and socks, but there was more. A lot more. Belenus had also bought them things like khakis and slacks and button-down shirts, workout gear, formal suits, and they both had two tuxedos. After that was...everything else. They had shoes (sneakers, boots, loafers, dress shoes), belts, handkerchiefs, ties, overcoats, gloves, hats...nothing was wanting. The labels caused sticker shock in both brothers and once they were dressed in jeans and T shirts, they got the heck out of there. Not feeling up to anything much, Sam dug out a board game and the three of them settled down to play and talk. All of them were more than a bit desperate for something that felt close to normal.

They were interrupted a little while later by Williams, carrying a tray with cookies and mugs of hot chocolate. "The master suggested that you might enjoy a small snack," he said, placing the tray on a table. "Enjoy, sirs."

"Thanks," Dean said, picking up a mug. He couldn't help grinning when he saw marshmallows under the whipped cream and chocolate curls. Williams sure knew how to spoil people when it came to hot chocolate.

"Wow," Sam said as soon as he took a sip of hot chocolate. It was rich and absolutely delicious. "This is great!"

"I'm glad to hear you say so," Williams said. "Supper tonight will be at seven. Have a pleasant afternoon."

"You know, I could get used to this," Dean remarked as soon as Williams was gone.

"The butler, or the hot chocolate?" Sam asked.

"Both!"

* * *

They went down to dinner at seven and Belenus met them there. He looked happy to see them and encouraged them to sit down and eat.

"Williams has prepared a feast for us," he said as they took their seats. "I hope you're hungry."

"Despite the cookies and hot chocolate a few hours ago, yeah," Dean said as he sat down. "Cas, do you think that's a good sign?"

Cas actually smiled. "Yes. When you first returned from your last hunt, you barely had enough energy to be enthusiastic about food, let alone eat any of it."

"That must have been some hunt," Belenus stated. "What on earth were you hunting?"

"Some weird hybrid creatures," Sam said as Williams carried in his tray. "They could shape-shift, but they could also feed on your energy. We were stuck with them two days before we managed to get out."

Belenus looked from Dean and Sam and back again. "No wonder you were so tired when you arrived."

"And that's after several weeks of Cas playing nurse and fussing over us," Dean said, more than happy for an opportunity to tease Cas.

"Sometimes, you were not good patients," Castiel said in the dry tone that meant he was doing his best to make a joke. After several years on earth and interacting with people, his attempts at humor had gotten much better.

"Hey, can you blame us?" Sam wanted to know. "I remember being asleep one afternoon and you insisted on waking me up because it was time for us to eat…"

"You threw a pillow at me. Twice."

Belenus started chuckling, and they could tell he was finding it hard not to break down laughing outright. "I have a question…if the three of you live together, how do you keep from killing each other?"

"We manage," Dean said lightly. "Sometimes we yell, sometimes we fight, but we usually live through it all."

"Mostly," Cas added.

The chuckling started again, and Belenus kept chatting with them while they had supper. Williams had prepared roast beef and mashed potatoes with gravy along with vegetables and feather-light rolls. Dean and Sam were hungry enough for seconds, and when Williams served dessert, they both were happy to accept second helpings of apple pie.

Dean didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was starting to like Belenus. He had a pretty strong sense of humor, knew how tell a good story, and aside from being a pagan god who didn't know how to take 'no' for an answer, he seemed like an okay kind of guy…when he wasn't snapping his fingers and compelling people to do things. He looked across the table at his brother and he could tell Sam was starting to like him, too. At the present moment he and Belenus were discussing books and it turned out that both of them had read a lot of the same authors. For a change, it was nice to see Sammy relaxing and talking about something he enjoyed. For a fleeting moment, Dean wished it could always be like this for his little brother.

"I just wish I could find his fourth book, but it's out of print," Sam said after taking a sip of water.

" _Black as Onyx_?" Belenus said. "There's a copy of it upstairs in the library."

Sam's eyes widened. "Really?! Any chance I could borrow that?"

"Of course," Belenus said happily, sounding like an indulgent uncle. "You can raid the shelves if you like."

"That might take a couple of years," Sam said with a grin.

Belenus nodded, his thoughts plain on his face. He would have been happy for them to stay a couple of years.

Dean decided that there was no time like the present. He glanced at Sam and Sam gave the barest of nods. They were both on the same page. Good. "Well, you can at least count on two weeks. Make sure you leave some time for food and sleep, Sammy."

Belenus smiled, and to Dean, it looked as if they had just granted his dearest wish.

* * *

They spent the evening in the rumpus room, playing cards and talking. Belenus was eager to hear all about their lives when they were kids: what games had they played, what they'd done that was fun, how had they liked school, what were their favorite subjects, places they'd been, and what they'd liked best to eat. General questions like that were easy to answer and Sam and Dean took it in turns. They noticed that he was tactful enough not to ask questions about things they'd rather not discuss, and they both appreciated it.

Around ten-thirty, Belenus insisted that they go to bed and get some rest.

"Aw, come on, the night is young," Dean said immediately. "Why don't we go out? Have some fun?"

"No, no, absolutely not," Belenus insisted. "You and Sam both need your rest."

"Castiel could go out and have fun while we sleep, right?" Dean joked.

"Castiel is busy reading," Cas said from his seat on the sofa. "Don't try to live vicariously through Castiel, Dean."

Castiel's speaking about himself in the third person and his tone made Dean, Sam, and Belenus crack up. Cas, of course, ignored them all and continued reading his book. At last, Dean calmed down and looked at the book that Cas held. "What are you reading there, Cas?"

" _Pilgrim's Progress_ by John Bunyan," Castiel said after glancing at the cover. "It is...interesting."

Sam looked impressed. "It is interesting. Nice choice, Cas."

Cas smiled and turned a page.

"Returning to the bed question," Belenus said, not willing to let himself be distracted. "Seriously, you both feel tired, so you should go to bed."

Dean flopped onto the cough. "What if we want to stay up?"

"Oh, come now," Belenus said kindly. "You're not going to impersonate a willful child, are you?"

"Dean doesn't need to impersonate a willful child," Sam teased. "He _is_ one."

"And you're a geek," Dean shot back.

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

Belenus looked from Dean to Sam and back again, and then turned to Castiel. "Should I be concerned about bloodshed in a minute?"

Castiel shook his head. "No. That's just how they are."

"And what makes you an expert, Cas?"

Castiel looked at Dean. "After all the time I've spent in your company, I've learned a thing or two." He paused and looked them up and down. "Your scents have changed."

"That came out of left field," Dean said, surprised. He knew Cas could sense how ill someone was according to their scents, but he usually didn't mention it unless it was necessary. "What do you mean?"

"I can smell a lot of fatigue coming off the both of you," Cas explained. "You're very tired, even though you're pretending not to be. You should go to bed and rest."

"Let's put it to a vote," Dean said.

"Gladly," Belenus said, snapping his fingers. A second later, Williams entered the room. "Shall we vote now?"

"Hey, hold on," Dean argued. "I know what your vote will be, and I know Cas' vote already, and ten to one Williams will vote however you want him to, so...this may be a biased ballot."

"Let's save ourselves some embarrassment," Sam said, clapping his brother on the back. "Let's go get some rest, huh?"

Dean argued, just for the sake of arguing, but eventually he and Sam headed upstairs to their rooms. Cas watched Belenus watch them go, an indulgent smile on his face.

* * *

When Castiel checked on the Winchesters half an hour later, they were both in the their beds asleep. He was thankful that both of them had seen reason and were getting the rest their bodies so desperately needed. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but he was worried about them. Their entire bodies...every single cell...was exhausted. They had no reserves left. Whatever those creatures had been, wherever they had come from, Castiel prayed that they were the only ones in existence. He knew Sam and Dean were resilient and they had built up their endurance over a lifetime, but two days with those creatures had taken all their reserves and left them physically weak. The fact that they'd recently spent four days asleep and then taken a nap the same day they'd woken up spoke volumes on just how exhausted they were. He'd been shocked when he'd seen how close to death they'd been, and he was still very worried.

Belenus was something else that concerned him. Something about this whole situation seemed wrong to him, but he couldn't exactly put his finger on what was wrong. The fact that the Winchesters had agreed to stay...no, something else. Maybe it was how quickly they'd agreed to stay. It had been only a few minutes' worth of talking about it, but something inside was telling Cas that something about that was wrong. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Belenus might have done something to influence the decision. Just what he might have done, though, was a mystery.

The whole thing was mysterious. He just wished that Belenus' so-called "invitation" had come at a better time. Having Sam and Dean both so exhausted was not good. Exhaustion left a person unable to think effectively or to respond to dangerous situations effectively...Cas only hoped he could guard against anything that might happen.

He was about to return to his book when he heard something upstairs. Startled, he headed back upstairs and reached the Winchesters' rooms just in time to see Belenus slip into Dean's room. Suspicious, he followed Belenus into the room, but what he saw stopped him in his tracks.

Belenus was tucking Dean in with an extra blanket, and a second later, he smoothed Dean's hair. If that wasn't shock enough, Dean actually smiled and gave a sigh in his sleep. Castiel hid, and then he watched and listened as Belenus whispered an entire litany of things he loved about Dean and how happy he was to have Dean with him. When Belenus left Dean's room and went into Sam's, Cas followed him. There, he did the same things he'd done in Dean's room, whispering to Sam and tucking him in, and when he left he looked as if all the peace anyone could ever want resided in him.

Belenus headed down the hall, but he stopped halfway to the stairs and turned. "Are you spying, Castiel?"

Cas winced and came out from his hiding place. "I'm merely making sure everything is all right."

Belenus nodded, the expression on his face enigmatic. "If anything were wrong, I would have told you."

Cas considered everything he'd heard and seen that night. "You truly are glad to have them here."

Belenus smiled. "I've already said so several times. They are of my blood, Castiel. My family. You, of all people, know how important family is."

Castiel nodded. "I do."

"Then you understand how I feel right now," Belenus stated. "Also, you understand that I could never do anything to hurt them, Castiel."

"I don't think that you would hurt them intentionally, no," Cas admitted. "Unintentionally, though...that remains to be seen."

Belenus gave a long-suffering sigh. "What can I do to allay your suspicions, Castiel? Hmm? I went through a great deal of effort to get them here, I've given them the option to leave if they wish...if I were a capricious god, or even a capricious forefather, then I would give them no choice in any matter at all. You do not need to fear for their well-being or liberty, Castiel."

Cas said nothing. There was still something that he wasn't seeing, he was sure of it.

"You needn't fear," Belenus repeated. "I do wish to build a relationship based on trust with them both, and trust is something that can't be forced. I'm not about to sabotage that by confining them and proving to them that I can't be trusted not to let them live their own lives. Have you considered the possibility, Castiel, that you've lived for so long unable to trust others that your first reaction to something new is to be suspicious?"

"That would be Sam's and Dean's first reaction as well," Cas pointed out. "And doing so has kept us all alive."

Belenus nodded. "I see. Well, there's precious little to threaten you here. Why not take your stay here as an opportunity for a little holiday? It must be exhausting to be so vigilant all the time. Relax. Take some time to do exactly as _you_ please for a change. I'm sure you'll be much better for it. Now, I'm off to take care of a few things. Have a pleasant evening."

Castiel watched him go, still struggling with the feeling that there was something in this whole situation that he wasn't seeing. What it might be, he had no idea, but he wished with all his being that he knew what it was.

"Master Castiel?"

Williams was probably the only creature in all of existence who could sneak up on and startle an angel so badly. Cas nearly smote him out of reflex, but he was able to restrain himself in time. Still feeling shaken, Cas turned to the butler. "Yes?"

"The master has ordered me to show you to your bedroom."

"That won't be necessary," Cas said immediately. "I don't sleep."

"A hallmark of good hospitality is making sure that all guests have accommodations," Williams said evenly. "And the master has ordered that I show you your room. He said nothing about you sleeping there."

Cas looked Williams up and down. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Williams merely smiled.

"Very well," Cas sighed, capitulating. "You may show me my room."

Williams turned and led Cas down the hall, to a room that was not far from Sam's and Dean's rooms. It was a room a lot like the Winchesters' rooms: four-poster bed, bookshelves, seating area, entertainment center, and to his surprise, new clothes. Did Belenus think it necessary to completely dress all of his guests?

"If you need anything at all, there is a bellpull here," Williams said, showing him the braided rope by the bed. "You may ring any time of the day or night; I will hear you and come. Now, there is one request that I will make."

Castiel turned his attention from the clothes to Williams. "What request?"

"That you will remain in your room during the nighttime," Williams said. "At night, the young masters will be sleeping, and the master rests as well. There will be no reason for you to wander the house."

"Is this a request from you or your master?" Castiel asked as suspicion bloomed in his chest.

"Why not let it be from us both?"

Castiel looked at him, suddenly wary.

"Let me put it to you this way," Williams suggested. "Would you want someone you hardly know prowling around your home at night while you are asleep?"

"Put that way, I suppose not," Castiel admitted.

"Did it ever occur to you, Master Castiel, that the master may be just as wary of you as you are of him?"

That was a surprise. "No."

Williams merely nodded. "I thought so. Have a pleasant night, Master Castiel. If you need anything, please ring."

With that, Williams left the room, leaving Castiel alone with his thoughts.


End file.
